Dear Kids,
          It’s been a week today since Dad and I moved out of the house in West Valley. It’s all a blur to me now. We had made ten trips to the cabin earlier, with the truck loaded up, and all that stuff was packed in the garage. I thought the rest of the move would be a cinch. It wasn’t. We never could have done it without all the help. James and Tom and Bentley came Saturday morning to help us load the big stuff in a U-Haul truck (the biggest one they rent.) Then Dad and James drove it to the cabin, and Tom and Bentley went along to help unload. Meanwhile, I was still packing and cleaning at the house. I loaded up the truck for one more trip to the dump, and after that, I loaded the truck and the car with more household stuff. And I still hadn’t even started on the den and the shop. By 9:00 that night I could see we simply weren’t going to make it, but Nora called and asked what she and Addie could do. So they came and cleaned. John and Tom came to clean the carpets at 10:00. And Tom took charge of keeping us moving. About 12:30 I sent Dad off to the cabin in our truck, with still another load. Trouble was, the gate code had changed, and he sat at the gate (with Xena in her carrier) until 5:00 am. Meanwhile, I was still cleaning and packing more stuff. Tom and Nora and Addie probably left about 1:00, but John stayed on to reminisce about the house. I think he left about 2:00. By 3:00 am, I was too tired to do any more, so I lay down on the living room floor with a blanket and a pillow, but I couldn’t sleep. The house seemed to be talking to me. (I know, I was totally out of my gourd by then. ) It said, "Don’t worry about me. I’m up for a new adventure." Dad came back a little after 6:00, and we said our final goodbyes to the house. Of course I cried. I think Dad did, too.
          Now we’re settled in with all our house stuff at the cabin. I’ve been trying to find places for things for a week now. But we feel good about our move. And, of course, there’s the usual cabin entertainment, like deer eating all our trees and shrubs. Oh, here’s a new one: woodpeckers made a hole in the outside wall of the bunkhouse and pulled out a lot of the insulation. The back yard is a mess. I chased them away and put duct tape on their hole. Hopefully they won’t be back.
          Here’s more news: Our lot in River Bluffs finally has a hole dug on it! (It had been seven weeks since we finalized the deal, but they said they were waiting for the permits to come through.) Dad and I go by the hole every day. Hopefully there will be a foundation soon.
          Is anybody interested in a Memorial Day barbecue at the cabin? We have to try out the new barbecue you guys gave us for Christmas.
          Life is good! Love, Mom